Heat is on, The: The Making of Miss Saigon

Synopsis

While their phenomenally successful musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables was still playing to packed houses around the globe, librettist Alain Boublil and composer Claude-Michel Schonberg had already begun work on their modern adaptation of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly. The result was Miss Saigon, a show that was to become one of the greatest musical theatre hits of all time.
THE HEAT IS ON - THE MAKING OF MISS SAIGON, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the development and production of Miss Saigon, from its early beginnings, through casting, set construction, choreography and technical rehearsals right up to its opening night in London’s West End.

The story begins in Provence, France with Boublil and Schonberg briefly discussing their inspiration for the show with producer Cameron Mackintosh (The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Misérables). Next the artistic forces behind the Miss Saigon are seen circling the globe in search of the perfect Miss Saigon, auditioning thousands of girls in New York, Hollywood and Honolulu, before landing in Manila where they discover their star, Lea Salonga. Stage director Nicholas Hytner then invites the camera to peer into the depths of the creative process as the orchestra builds, performances soar and the players work toward the show’s incredible opening night.

Relocating the plot of Puccini’s original opera to 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, and changing the lead characters from an American Navy Lieutenant and a Japanese geisha to those of an American GI and a Vietnamese bar girl, Miss Saigon tells a tragic tale of doomed romance - one that has touched the hearts of millions.

The winner of 30 major international theatre awards, including three Tony awards, the record-breaking Miss Saigon has been performed in nine countries and been seen by over 33 million people worldwide.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of release

1989

Subjects

Drama; Music

Keywords

Vietnam war; musical adaptations

Credits

Director

David Wright (4)

Cast

Jonathan Pryce

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£7.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

70 minutes

Year

2008

Distributor

Name

FremantleMedia Home Entertainment

Email

videodvd@fremantlemedia.com

Web

http://www.fremantlehomeentertainment.com/ External site opens in new window

 

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